There and Back Again
by TessaWeston
Summary: (OC Story)When the Company comes to whisk Bilbo away on an extraordinary adventure filled with magic and menaces, there in an extra factor nobody included into the equation that was this great quest, and that's Cristiel. A girl looking only for adventure and thrills, she joins the company in order to help reclaim a homeland and learn more about the world in which she was born into.
1. 01 - The Unexpected Arrivals

**Welcome, readers! I have had this idea in my head since I was forced to watch Fellowship by my big sister (very scared of it back then), so there are bits and pieces, that I have had from the beginning that I do not wish to change, even though now I know much more about the storylines of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. So, there will be small details that are more personal choices over what is actually within the plotline. If you don't like it, I am sorry.**

_**Disclaimer: I only own the rights to Avril.**_

**_Bilbo's P.O.V.:_**

How had it come to be that four Dwarves suddenly showed up at my home when I hardly ever have any guests? There are so many more people I can imagine visiting, strangely enough, over four Dwarves!

Oh, great, and now the doorbell is ringing for a fourth time! Well, isn't that just wonderful!"Go away," I shouted as I walked from the pantry towards the front door. "There are far too many Dwarves in my kitchen as it is. If this is some blockhead's idea of joke, I must say, it is in very poor taste."

Just as I opened the door, eight more Dwarves suddenly came tumbling through and into my entryway. There, behind all of them, sticking his head head, was none other than of course, Gandalf the Grey! However, there was someone else, that I definitely did not intend to see amongst the number of males suddenly in my home. There, I saw a girl—she must have been considered a young woman within the race of Men—peeking her way around Gandalf. All I could see was the top of her shoulders, her head, and her black wavy hair hanging down low as she looked into my home with more curiosity than shyness or fear. She had large gray eyes. rippling with awe, that showed just how fascinated she was with the surroundings of the hobbit hole.

_**Avril's P.O.V.:**_

Well, this was certainly an awkward moment. All of the Dwarves and Gandalf were running around back and forth between the pantry and what I assume was either a kitchen or a dining room. I'm not fully sure what it was, to be quite honest. There was a table with many of chairs, but also a little area to cook in. I would definitely have to get used to the ways that different cultures ate.

I noticed that our host, a Mr. Bilbo Baggins, was also chasing after the Dwarves, giving off worried commands as he feared that they would break or mangle something important to him. Though, I didn't really see what was so important about an old chair or a doily. Maybe they were things more precious to Hobbits than to my people.

Suddenly, he came over to me.

"Forgive me," he said as he looked up at to me. He was a good foot and a half shorter than I was, which was rather strange. I was a surprisingly short creature, standing only about five feet tall. "But what is your name?"

I was surprised that he wanted to know my name when he hadn't even asked any of the Dwarves, but I suppose he was more comfortable talking to to me who wasn't as brash or loud as the rest of them. "Oh, my name is-" I was about to say when I saw that Gandalf was watching me. Realizing I was watching him back for support, I cleared my throat and looked back to Bilbo. "Avril, of Gondor. That is my name."

Bilbo nodded in slight understanding, though he looked at me as though something were off, like something was crawling on my face. "Tell me, Avril, how old are you exactly? You seem to be quite young to be traveling with a number of Dwarves and a wizard."

"I have seen eighteen winters in my lifetime," I replied with a slight smile, trying to break the tension that I could slowly begin to feel rising. I hardly ever lied, mostly because my family knew so well when I was doing so, and so lying now had been making my skin crawl. However, I wasn't lying about my age, so there wasn't much to worry about. Right?

"That means that you've come of age in Gondor, yes?" Bilbo asked curiously.

"Yes, that's right," I said with another small smile as I nodded my head. I kept my arms behind my back, a hand wrapped around my wrist to try and keep them both from shaking.

"Though you are indeed of age, I wonder how it is that such a young girl found herself traveling with a band of Dwarves.

"Oh, I wouldn't say she's traveling with us," said one of the Dwarves as he came over to Bilbo and I. I think his name began with a B, but I wasn't fully sure. He had on a very oddly shaped hat while he had black hair in two braids that curved at the ends to match the movement of the hat and a mustache that curled at the edges and went down to his chin. Though for a Dwarf, he hardly had a beard at all. "In fact, who are you, Young Lass?"

Before I had any time to even comprehend what was going on, I was suddenly sitting at the table with the twelve Dwarves—that's strange, Gandalf said there would be thirteen—Gandalf, and Bilbo standing a ways off.

"She is my companion," Gandalf said. Luckily for me, he was the one who was going to do all of the talking right now. "While traveling on The Great East Road on my way here, I found her riding a horse and being chased by a band of Orcs. Her parents had fallen victim to their weapons but she managed to get away. I assisted her and dispatched the Orcs and saved her life. Now, she travels with me." He stopped then momentarily to look towards Bilbo, but the dear Hobbit was in the pantry, looking about at the empty shelves. However, Gandalf seemed to be happy that Bilbo wasn't listening to my backstory. "She knows of the dangers that are to come, and she wants to be considered a member of the Company, but she does not wish to have a share of the fortune. She understands that she was not included in the original process—how could she be?—and that is why she is not going to burden anyone with a one-fifteenth of the profit. She simply wants to help in our endeavour.

One of the Dwarves that was across the table with blonde hair looked around at the rest of the Dwarves. No one said anything, so he (I think his name is Fili) was the one to speak. "I think it is agreed that we do not mind her being here. However, you would have to go over it with Thorin when he arrives."

**So, let me know what you all think! Yes, there are supposed to be very subtle/slap-you-in-the-face names and words used within the titles and chapters, really just to joke around. I hope you liked it!**


	2. 02 - Help

**Hi, everyone. I'm basically writing this FanFic for the sole purpose that ever since I was young and watched **_**The Fellowship of the Ring **_**for the first time, I knew that I wanted to write a certain story, about a certain girl. However, I was only about five or six when I first watched the movie, so there were aspects to the movies and books I didn't know about when I thought up my character, that certain girl. I've had eleven to twelve years to think out this story, to plan it and try to make it as perfect as it could be so that this certain girl could fit into the storylines of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, hopefully without angering any die-hard fans (I consider myself a serious fan, but I admit, I have never read LoTR, only The Hobbit). I'm hoping by telling you, the potential readers of this, you'll understand that there were some things from this story I could never part with from the beginning foundations and ideas, but know that I tried my absolute hardest to make this pleasant for you. Please, read it before you judge, that is all I ask. Thank you very much.**

**Avril's? POV:**

Just as I had always hoped, Dwarves were indeed quite the merry gathering. Despite the fact that they were there to discuss fighting a dragon, right now, they were happy and cheerful as they ate and drank with one another. It looked like a family reunion, and I was amazed by how they expertly sang, danced/moved about, and cleaned up the dishes that Bilbo was ever so worried were going to get broken. I couldn't help but to laugh along with what they were doing, scrunching up my nose as I laughed along with them. I tried not to, I tried not to let myself feel a part of their group, but they were just _so _welcoming and kind, it was pretty hard.

However, just as the laughter ceased and Gandalf sat down proudly amongst the Dwarves, showing Bilbo and myself that they had everything under control, there were three clear knocks against the wooden door.

"He's here," Gandalf said ominously, making me able to feel my heart thudding against my ribcage. 'He' was Thorin Oakenshield and also the thirteenth Dwarf that had to show up, that much I knew.

_The _Thorin Oakenshield, the Dwarven Prince whose homeland was taken from him and who was, without any doubt, going to attempt to gain it back, was going to be in the same place as . . . _me_?

Everyone gathered together at the entryway to see Thorin as Gandalf answered the door. Taking off his cloak with a sort of nobel air to himself, he mentioned that he got lost, twice, and I couldn't help but to furrow my brows a bit as I stood amongst the Dwarves, either slightly taller than them or their height. Shouldn't someone who had traveled much over the years be able to follow simple directions to get from The Blue Mountains to The Shire, I wondered?

He asked Bilbo a few questions, the Dwarves laughed, and we then all went to the table, sitting down. I stood off a ways with Bilbo, knowing that it wasn't my place to stick my nose in, and I could tell that Bilbo felt the same. He often looked to me and offered a smirk before awkwardly turning back to the look at the Dwarves. I often did the same.

After taking a sip of his drink, Thorin turned to look at me, and I could feel something strange happening. As his blue eyes looked into my gray, I could feel my skin crawl in an eerily pleasant way, the hairs all over my body standing on edge, and I knew something had just happened.

"And who are you?" he asked me, his voice gruff and a bit serious as he looked to me, though I could tell there was a touch of curiosity in his tone.

"This is Avril of Gondor," Kili—was it Kili? I wasn't sure. He looked a good bit like Fili, so I was assuming he was—said as he motioned to me. I didn't mind that he spoke for me, I was actually rather glad. Knowing my luck, my voice probably would have cracked if I tried to answer.

"And, Avril of Gondor," Thorin said, purposely stating the question to me so that I would have to answer. "Why are you here? You do know what we're doing, do you not?"

With a sigh, I closed my eyes momentarily, preparing to tell the same story that Gandalf told the rest of the Dwarves and Bilbo. I said it rather well, I thought, stating it simply and making sure it did not sound rehearsed.

When I was done, Thorin furrowed his thick, dark brows together. "So, you were orphaned and in thanks, are now assisting Gandalf?"

"That's right," I said with a nod, giving off a small smirk so I wouldn't be questioned any further, hopefully.

Turning to Gandalf, Thorin said, "She could get hurt, and yet you allow a young girl who is hardly even of age in Gondor to travel with us on a dangerous mission?"

"It was not Mr. Gandalf's idea," I butted in then, and everyone immediately turned to look at me. The only sound in the room was the fire crackling and blazing, while the only sound in my ears was my heart that was pounding. Trying to hide the blush in my cheeks, I said, "He told me what the dangers were in hopes that I _wouldn't _follow him. However, all my life I have wanted to know of all of the race of Middle Earth, and I always found that your story, the story of The Dwarves of Erebor, was the saddest. Ever since I was a young girl, I wanted to find a way to help you. So, when Mr. Gandalf told me, I knew I had to come."

I don't know when or how it happened, but I was standing now, gesturing with my hands and looking all about the room as though it were Middle Earth itself.

"Too many tragedies have happened in my lifetime alone, I will not see any others happen," I finished, and all the Dwarves looked to one another. After a moment, they all looked to Thorin, who in turn looked to me.

"What weapon do you prefer? Sword, ax, or bow?" Thorin asked.

"Sword, throwing daggers, and I am trained in archery as well, though it does not appease me much," I said, my spirits rising. He was going to let me join. He was _actually _going to let me join?!

"Then, welcome to the quest, Avril of Gondor."

Everyone began to cheer and even pat me on the back, and I couldn't help but to smile and nearly tuck a lock of black, wavy hair behind my ear. I stopped myself, and instead ran a hand through my hair, pushing some of it back.

Happiness was taking me over, and I hardly even heard Bilbo when he said, "Wait! What is this quest that you are all discussing in my kitchen?"

That was when the planned that involved Bilbo was explained. After finding out from Bofur that he could die due to the fire that Smaug breathed, he fainted. When he woke back up, he told Gandalf that he wouldn't be the burglar, and left the room, retiring for the evening. I found it strange that he left thirteen Dwarves, a girl, and a wizard alone in his home, but I did not question it as I sat alongside Gandalf as he smoked his pipe.

All of the Dwarves were in the sitting room, and after a few quiet moments, I heard Thorin begin to sing. His words held such agony as the rest of the Dwarves harmonized along with him, and I wanted to turn around to see what his face looked like, but I only caught a small glimpse before Gandalf turned me back around.

I couldn't help but think that Thorin looked so hurt, so pained, but he also looked scared. He looked like a young man who had just ventured out of his parents home for the first time and was immediately thrown into a war without warning or friends. I couldn't help but to in that moment, feel a pang in my heart, and from that moment on, Thorin Oakenshield and the way he was were the only things in my mind.

**So, I really hope you liked it. I worked hard, and I want to say thank you for reading it. Please, review and follow. It means a lot. Have a nice day!**


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